Elderly Outreach Ministries: A Case Study

We have maintained an excellent leadership team and staff loyalty and retention. Our staff goes beyond providing care and our services exceeds customer satisfaction. We work with elders and their families to meet each resident individualized needs. Our activities are structured to enhance the residents’ cognitive abilities and reconnect them to their past. Our schedule outings involve theaters, beach and social events. Our exceptional services have earned our communities trust and the expansion of our services is just one way of keeping up with our longstanding history of community

While being employed in Corporate America for over 20 years and in the United States Air Force for over 10 years has been extremely valuable experience, I don’t feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose in life. After losing my grandmother 2.5 years ago, it finally dawned on me what my purpose is, and that is to care for our aging population. I am one of 65 grandchildren. My grandmother and I always had a special bond. She raised me for a big part of my childhood, and was more of a mother-figure to me.

This past summer, I acquired an internship at Baldwin and Lyons, an insurance company in Indianapolis. Every Wednesday during my internship, a couple of employees and I would participate in a prodigious community service project, Meals on Wheels. Throughout the three months that I worked at Baldwin and Lyons, I got acquainted with some of the individuals whom we delivered to. These inspiring individuals were so grateful and appreciative that we took time out of our day to volunteer to do such a service. One elderly woman who we delivered to would sing to us as she came to the front door “good meals, good meals, good meals.” She is one woman that I will never forget. First going into this, I was elated knowing I was I getting out of the

It was wonderful to get hands- on information from local aging agency. However, it is not the first time I have been to Oxford Senior Center. During my practicum at Liberty, I went there on alternate Fridays for blood pressure check-up with the director of nursing. Also, I have been there to get one of my GA works for data collection. Since the center is serving the older adults for more than 50 years, the institute has evolved in many ways, physically and in abstract level (culture, values, mission etc.). I was amazed to see, even in my short span of involvement in the center, there were small changes occurring in operation level. In more than 50 years, it would be hard to quantify how much changes might have occurred which also shaped up the institution in present condition.

Growing up with my grandparents had helped me determine my decision of pursuing a career in the medical field. My grandparents were Chinese farmers who would always reaching out for our neighbors and providing them with life needs. By growing up with them, I obtain their personalities as well. They taught me to be humble, responsible and caring. I remember a quote by Stephen Richard, “When you reach out to those in need, do not be surprised if the essential meaning of something occurs.” This quote was later proven by my own experience, which I would get this indescribable gratification I get after helping someone. Therefore, I wanted to become someone who can reaching out for others as my grandparents ever since I was little. Being in the

I plan to continue the mission of the National Health Service Corp (NHSC) by serving those most in need. Ever since I was in nursing school, I have had an interest in helping those most in need. I worked in a hospital setting after graduation and found myself being pulled to find help for patients that did not have access to basic needs. Soon after, I worked in home health. This was an opportunity to see patients in their home and I found out quickly who the most vulnerable of our patients were. I loved being able to assist my patients in finding resources to pay for medications, wheelchair ramps, and even heat during the cold months. A couple of jobs later, I found out there was a medical ministry in my community and decided to volunteer.

Aging is a natural part of life. However, many people struggle to stay active in their golden years. The attentive staff at National Church Residences is committed to the health and overall well-being of their clients and residents. Their senior living community in Chillicothe, OH, has provided safe, affordable, and comfortable housing to seniors for more than 50 years. As innovative leaders in home and health care for the elderly, they work hard to fulfill the social and human needs of older adults.

I attended Tabitha Square Gardens for my service learning. Tabitha Square Gardens is an assisted living facility in Crete. Assisted living is a philosophy of service that focuses on maximizing each resident's independence and dignity. This emphasizes flexibility, individualized supportive services and health care. Involvement of the community, as well as the residents' family, neighbors and friends is encouraged. The availability of staff to meet scheduled and unexpected care needs is a major aspect of assisted living caregiving. Assisted living serves a broad range of elderly (70 to 90+ years of age) becoming, in effect, a bridge between active retirement living and, for some, care in a nursing facility. Here I met Lillian and Jacky, both

For the Service Learning Assignment, I decided to volunteer at Northwind Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. My current interest is working in the medical field that deals with babies. The service learning placement that best fit my schedule was Northwind Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. This organization works with mostly senior citizens that need special care at all times. There were times where individuals that were not senior citizens that came there because it is not strictly a nursing home. The residents are not able to care for themselves and need constant supervision to ensure their safety. Some of the resident may require physical therapy. My responsibilities was to interact with the different residents on each visit and complete

As a child, I loved going to work with my mother during my days off from school. She worked at a nursing home, and I was amazed by all of the health care employees I was surrounded by every day. I watched, in admiration, as the nurses gave the elderly their medications, while the nursing assistants made sure they were comfortable and healthy, and while the doctors checked in from time to time to give routine check-ups. As soon as I turned 12 and was old enough to start volunteering at this nursing home, I signed up to do so with excitement pouring out of me. To this very day, I am still active in volunteering at the same nursing home that prompted me to pursue a career in medicine in the first place.

It was my first time volunteering at a nursing home and I had not known what to expect. After all, I was just another stranger giving these residents a visit. How big of a difference could I really make? My interest in volunteering started when I was shadowing a hand surgeon. Seeing her interact and form special, meaningful relationships with her patients, I, too, began to crave to form these relationships. Thus, I spoke to a few of my friends and we decided to establish Students Teaching Seniors Technology, an organization designed to bring seniors back up to speed with technology and help them feel once again connected to their loved ones. After recruiting a group of volunteers, we arranged weekly trips to Chesterbrook Residences and planned to spend a few hours with the residents there.

Throughout my four years of college, I wanted to learn about myself and the world. I did not want to follow a particular path or be strict with myself. Now, as a graduate I discovered my passion for health and helping people. I want to volunteer at New York Methodist Hospital because I want to learn more about health while getting to help people feel at peace during a difficult time in their life. I am ready to learn and I am ready for a new experience. I want to learn from accomplished individuals and further my knowledge in health for when I decide to go to nursing school. At the age of 5, I had to help my grandma because she could not walk due to arthritis of the spine and knee. At a young age I learned how one person can make a difference

I ambitiously decided that I would brighten the lives of the elderly by volunteering at a rest home, but discovered that the elderly were being neglected, shoved aside and forgotten. As I stepped into the home a pungent odor penetrated my nostrils, causing an instantaneous gagging reflex. The place was abounded with neglected and subdued inhabitants, yearning for attention. Anybody that passed them caused a sudden outburst of ranting. The negligence and disregard the home displayed appalled me, but helped me to realize that I wanted to make a difference and change the condition people live in.

Aging, in general, refers to changes that take place in the organism throughout the life span- good, bad, and neutral (Hooyman and Kiyak, 6). Usually, someone between the age sixty-five and older is referred to as “old person.” During my orientation, pre-internship interview and internship hours I have been able to make a lot of connections between this course and my observations. I have been able to walk the facility and freely speak with some of the residents. I was able to meet the oldest resident of the facility. She was 102 years old. There are also some young residents in the facility who are in their 40’s. The age range

Upon starting this Gerontology course, I was overwhelmed with the course expectations, having to complete an Older Adult Review project, weekly discussion board posts and comments with precise APA format (which I was horrible at) and lots of supplemental reading to fulfill the learning outcomes of this course. Nevertheless, I overcame all those obstacles and have obtained newfound knowledge of what it is like to age, firsthand, coming from one of my favorite patients which has cleared many of the stereotypes I had on the geriatric population. Thanks to this course and interviews with Mary, I have a better understanding of the geriatric population which will benefit my future career as a Registered Nurse.